Materials Design and Development
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Advanced Separation Solvents
PNNL has developed unique capabilities to create solvents with the lowest projected energy requirements for CO2 and other acid gas separations. The general class of solvents is termed “water lean,” which greatly reduces vaporization and sensible heat duties compared to conventional solvents. Read More
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Advanced Sorbent Development and Scaleup
PNNL has both batch and continuous processing technologies for producing test quantities of new advanced sorbent materials, including advanced zeolites and custom MOF (Metal Organic Framework) compositions. PNNL’s capabilities also include the associated compositional and performance characterization equipment for wide range of gases and vapors. Read More
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Functional Materials Design and Development
Overview Overview Bioprocessing research and development are driven by the need to increase the quantity and quality of energy products derived from biomass, and advanced materials are key for the development of more efficient and cost-effective separations. Although adsorption, electrochemical, and pressure-driven membrane processes are… Read More
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Functionalized Nano-Sorbents
Overview These separations approaches apply advanced materials with high selectivity and binding capacity for removal of chemical species from active fermentation systems. The materials target not only bioproducts (fuels and chemicals) that are the output of bioconversion processes, but also toxins and inhibitors that deter… Read More
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Inorganic Membrane Development
PNNL has capabilities in manufacturing prototype membranes using advance sorbent materials and composites for gas and liquid separation applications. This capability is accompanied by the associated performance testing equipment for both gaseous and liquid separations. PNNL’s membrane seeding and growth system can be used to produce inorganic novel membrane prototypes up to 13 cm x 13 cm in size for subsequent evaluation. Read More
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Membrane Autopsies
Overview Membrane biofouling is a major obstacle in application of membrane processes in purification and separation. We developed tools to evaluate and understand microbial community structure in biofilms formed on membrane materials, as well as the functional interaction between these communities and the membrane surface… Read More
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Membrane Fabrication And Process Evaluation
ORNL develops a new class of surface-engineered (superhydrophobic or superhydrophilic) nano/meso/micro-porous membranes that can be tailored for high permeation flux, high selectivity, and anti-fouling separations performance. The R&D 100 Award-winning membranes are either inorganic (ceramic or metallic) porous materials based, or supported polymer or polymer-graphene coated membranes. Read More
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Synthesis and Characterization of Inorganic Sorbents, Beads, Polymer Resins, and Biosorbents; Inorganic Sorbent Bead Platform Technologies; Sorbent-based Separation Processes
ORNL has the unique capability in synthesis production of inorganic sorbent beads via internal and external gelation processes. The inorganic beads can be made to be nanoporous or mesoporous oxides so that large specific surface areas can be achieved. The composition of inorganic beads ranges from oxides, carbides, sulfides, and their mix. Read More